Combination railroad tie and drainage system



Dec. 27, 1949 o. l. OLSEN 2,493,177

COMBINATION RAILROAD TIE AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM I Filed Jan. 31, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OLIVER I, OLSEN Dec. 27, 1949 o. l. OLSEN 2,492,177

COMBINATION RAILROAD TIE AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.-5

3 wu cmiqn OLIVER I. OLSEN PATENT OFFICE COIVIBINATION RAILROAD TIE AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM Oliver Ingvard Olsen, Bremerton, Wash. Application J anuary 31, 1945, Serial No. 575,529

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as.

amended. April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a structural member to be used in the construction of railroad beds,

and more especially, to means for supporting the rails and for providing drainage for the road bed.

In providing for the proper drainage and disposal of surface water, particularly in paved areas such as large industrial plants, navy yards, etc, where railroad tracks are set into concrete paving, it is usual to place drains between the ties and to connect these to disposal conduits buried along side of the track. The drains or catch basins for the same are usually set into concrete blocks. The weight of the locomotive and of equipment being hauled over the tracks tends to cause the track to settle, leaving the drains between the tracks projecting upwardly to such an extent that the under-carriage of the locomotive and cars may strike the same and break them up or force the concrete blocks around the drains downwardly to such an extent as to break the cast iron disposal conduit to which they are attached. When this occurs, it is necessary to remove the tracks and to excavate the entire drainage system in order to replace the damaged piping, and this is expensive and involves a loss of time and a waste of material.

It is an object of this inventionto provide means for use in draining surface water from railroad beds which may removably be associated with the track so that it may be'removed without disrupting the rails or the entire drainage system in the event that it is necessary to replace a part of it due to some damage.

In one aspect invention resides in a hollow structural member of sufficient strength to support railroad tracks and the load imposed thereon by the passage of railway equipment over the same, the structural ,member having means therein through which water in the bed may flow into the member and laterally of the road bed. As illustrated, the hollow structural member is adapted to serve as a tie and has means for se-- curing the track thereto so that it will move with the track if the latter settles under the impressed load. The aforesaid means through which the water passes into the tie, comprises a hollow member open at its bottom and having a flange surrounding the same adapted to be rigidly connected to the top of the tie. The top of the aforesaid hollow member is also open and is so designed that it terminates at about the surface of the road bed and there is disposed in the open. end thereof a grate which permits the passage of water, but not of ballast. In another aspect, the invention resides in drainage systems in which ties, as heretofore described, are used The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a'perspective View of a section of track showing the novel ties arranged in position beneath the rails and attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section through my novel tie longitudinally thereof substantially on the line 2---2 as indicated on Fig. 1; and

. rail Fig. 3 is a cross section of the tie with the center drain in place, as employedin Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 shows the desirable relation of the surface of the pavement or road bed, in the employment of the side drains without the middle drain as indicated by Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows the desirable relation of the surface of the pavement or road bed, in the desirable use of the middle drain of the apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown in erspective, a railroad bed I0, rails l2, a disposal conduit l4 buried along side of the road bed for carrying away water which accumulates on the track bed, and the combination tie and drain it which forms the subject matter of the present invention, connected to the disposal conduit E4, the road bed being excavated between two adjacent ties in order to illustrate their disposition and connection to the disposal conduit. The tie and drain It, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is a hollow rectangular structural member, preferably made up of sheet metal welded into the proper shape, the ends of which are closed at l8 and 20. At one end, that is, at the end 20, there is formed a conduit or discharge opening 2| on the bottom side of the tie which is surrounded by a cylindrical neck 22. On the upper surface of the tie there are welded, or otherwise secured, rail fastening means 24 and 26. These fastening means 24 consist of blocks fixed to the upper surface of the tie having undercut portions adapted to receive an edge of the flange at the base of the i2 in the usual manner. The fastening means 26* consists of blocks 2! fixed to the tie and plates 29 bolted to the blocks so that they overlie the opposite edge of the flanges at the base of the rails. Adjacent to the rails 12, and also midway between them, are formed openings 28, and into the openings adjacent to the rails there are disposed'drains 30. The drains 3B are substantially rectangular in shape, are hollow and are provided'with constricted neck portions 34 adapted to fit snugly into the opening 28 formed in the top of the tie. Any suitable means may be employed for securing the drains in place. Each drain'30 is so dimensioned that its upper peripheral edge-36 will lie substantially iiush with the surface of the road bed, that is,

for supporting the rails, each tie having an out-*- let or discharge conduit in one end which extends below the body of the tie and is adapted to be connected by a slip joint to a disposal conduit which is arranged to run along the track at one side thereof.

as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, adjacent the plane of the top surface of the rails.

Internally of the drain 30, adjacent to its upper edge 36, there is formed a peripheral ledge 38 upon which there is disposed a grate 40. The drain is shaped next to the rail so that the edge 42 terminates below the rail head and the grat 44. middle opening 28 does not need to be sloped and consists of a rectangular hollow H box-shaped member 46, necked down at 48 to fit-into the reycess 28. Its upper edge 50 is adapted to be flush"- with the road bed surface, as shown.-in,Fig.'5,;1and internally thereof is formed a ledge .52, adapted to support a grate 54.

The combination drain and ties described here= in, are employed in the building otzthe railroad; .;1-

in place of the usual wooden ties and when the track is fastened to them and the ballast is packed bed jandgbeingop'emgat the upper? end 'thereof to receive and convey water -into the hollow tie from the road bed between the rails, the surface "'of the road bed being substantially at the elevatiqnj bf th tbp surface of the rail heads, and meansoforadischarging the water from the hollow tie, said ap entureaimeans in the upper surface of said tiebeing. disposed adjacent to a rail and said upwardly extending drain means being disposedclose to the inside of the rail.

3. In.combination,-- a railroad tie comprising a h-zhollow sstructura1.-.member, adapted to support around them, there;.-wi1l ebelno opportuni y-J01" the ties lto move withvrespectgto the tracks,,or

vice versa; .sincetheyzare fastened.- together and will move :only. asza 5 units/- Hence, when .a heavy load passes over'. the track-gland ttendsto cause the tracks and ties to-settle into the ballast, the

drains-which are fixedltuxthe ties,;.will becarried down with the traokand gwi ll not protrude so as;tolbe struck by. any part ofl the under; carriage of the train. 5

In order-.to dispose-.ofsthe water whichpgains accessnto the hollow ties through-the. drains v 3 0,;

there .is provided: a" .slip .coupling.;56 -betweenthe neck 22 and the disposal drain; [4, at; the sided of the track. :Thisshp.coupling will permit-moveementof the tie: under the pressure of a passing train without-applying pressure to -i the disposal drainv l4, and -hence,';there willbeno dangerof fracturingthe disposal drain.:

It is apparent that with nthe construction gset forth above,. if any :partgot the t etse f ccidentally brokemit Will only be ecessary to remove the ballast: immediately aroundethis tie withdraw the tie fromibeneath the rails; and r e-. place it .by'a new tie. Thisreduces the amount of labor and timeinn'epair lworkg -since it elimi-a I nates ny n c i wf r wVeting-fi WnJQvdrain Mat; the side tof the tracks.and;making replacements; therein orgnew connections thereto. 7

The inventiondescribed helleinmayybflmq factured and used by orqfqr Qovernment of the United States ;o f;;An1er-ioa1 fm;v governmental thereon or therefor,-..

What is claimeddsa 1. In combination, a.-rai lroadr tie comprising a a hollow structuralmembe gadapted to. supportthe rails, said ti e h avingvhqllow box shaped@drain means mounted on.- itsupp r. side ;.and entending above the hollow,structural tie;memben between- .l the rails, said hollow tie-havin aperture m eans in its upper side communicatinggwith-esaid hollow,

drain means, -said;drain means entending, up-

wardly from said tie and ;being;ad aptedto .be;sub-

stantially flush withthe surface ,of the road bed and being open at the uppengend ;thereof toreceive and convey-water into the hollowtiefrom Y the road bed between the rails-,-the surface of the I road bed being substantiallyi -atr the elevation of: the top surface of the rail heads l-and means'for discharging-the waterzfromalthe hollow tie;

2. In combinatioma railroad'tiecomprising-ahollow structuralmember adapted togsupport the rails, said tie having-hollow box-shapeddrain.

means mounted on' its-upper-.;side and extendingabove the hollow structural. tie, member between. the rails, saidhollow tie; having-"aperture means in its upper side communicatingwithisaid hollowdrain means, saidtdrain means extending 'up- Wardly from-said;tie and being adapted toibe substantially flushswithethe surface-otthe roaclg the rails, said tie having hollow box-shaped drain mimq m deon. ts u nd n neabove. the hollow structural. tie. member-between I the rails said hollow tie -having aperture. means in itstupperside communicatingwith said hollow drain means, Saiddrairi means extending upward! 1y from said tiel andbeing adapted toibe substantially flush? with. the. surface-of. the road bed ingress. of water. while excluding jballastv or. the

like-said hollow tie having a. .discharg.e conduitj at anend thereof, and adispos'al conduit having. a slip. joint.connectionjwithtthe dischargejconduitbf 'the tie and disposed substantially verticallyspejrmittingfslip movement atthe joint in. accordance. withcthe loadjon. the tie onsettling thereof..-

4. In. combination, varailroa'd tie'fcomprising. a,v hollowjstructural member adapted to support the. rails, said tie having hollowTbox-shaped.drain, meansmounted" on its, upper side and extending above ithe liollow'structural, ,tiedmember'between j the rails, said hollow tie having aperture means in its upper sidecommunicatingiwith said hollow drain means, ;said drain means extending upwardly from ,saidltief andbeing adapted to be substantially flush with the surface of the road I bed and being open at the upper end thereof to receive and convey wateninto .the hollow tie fromthe road bed betweenthe rails';.the surface of the road bed bieingsubstahtiallY at the elevationof. the top surfacefif the rail heads, and means for discharging the water from*the hollow tie, said aperture means in the upper. surface I of said ti'evc omprising an aperture disposed substantially at the middljoif the road; bed between the "rails; and said upwardly extendingf drain. means comprising'a hollowbox-lshaped drain re ceived jin lsaid middle "aperture,

RI GYARD .QLSEN;

REFERENCES CITED The followingtreferences are of record inlthe i.

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819,081, Schaubl Mayal, .1906. 1 924,563v .f Michael. June 8, 1909 1,408,134., ODonnellm; Eeb.;28, 19,22 2,057,593 Riggle et a1..: Oct-13, 1936v i 

